Helen of Troy with Natalie Haynes
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships - but is there more to her than a beautiful f...
Chandragupta Maurya: Hero of India
09 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Evolving from an obscure ancient ruler to a contemporary national icon, Chandragupta Maurya's story ...
The Lighthouse of Alexandria
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The last monument to be added to the list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Lighthouse ...
Lion Man: The First Myth?
02 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Discovered in a German cave, days before the Second World War broke out, the Lion Man statue remaine...
Persia and the Bible
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the Babylonian Empire fell into decline, and it's power faded, the Persian Empire stepped in to f...
Achilles
25 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains themes of a sexual natureAchilles is one of the greatest heroes in Greek mytho...
Origins of Water
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When you envision what Earth was like 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after its creation, images of d...
The Picts
18 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emerging around the 3rd century CE and later designated official adversaries of the Roman Empire, th...
The First Spears
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to the work of today's guest, Dr Annemieke Milks, humans were using spears approximately 4...
Human Origins: Australopithecus
11 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For millions of years, Australopithecus thrived in Africa's vast landscapes, laying the groundwork f...
Ravenna and the Fall of Rome
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fall of the Western Roman Empire stands as one of the most monumental moments in ancient history...
Boudica's Battle of Britain
04 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Celtic queen who led a major uprising against the Roman Empire in ancient Britain, Boudica, is a...
Origins of Horse Riding
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Human and Horse relationships have long be intertwined; from the ancient Eurasian plain, through to ...
Babylon and the Bible
28 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When looking at the Hebrew Bible, the city of Babylon plays a prominent role - especially in the Old...
The Cyrus Cylinder
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An ancient clay artefact that dates back to the 6th century BCE, the Cyrus Cylinder is often conside...
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A legendary, ancient architectural wonder, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the most famed ...
Poverty Point: Centre of Ancient America
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An ancient, colossal site in Northeastern Louisiana, Poverty Point is a mystery amongst archaeologis...
Nebuchadnezzar
14 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most famous Babylonian Kings - Nebuchadnezzar II was a legendary ruler who appears in bib...
Messalina: Empress of Rome
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Ancients, host Tristan Hughes speaks with historian Honor Cargill-Martin abou...
Alexander The Great's Sex Life
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature.Did Alexander the Great and the Queen ...
King Midas
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Shirley Bassey once said, "He's the man. The man with the Midas touch." But who was the man that'...
Lilith: Mesopotamian Demoness
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps a name better known for recent appearances in horror films - Lilith is a woman who's origins...
Athens: Birthplace of Democracy?
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When we think of democracy in the ancient Greek world, our minds often go straight to Athens, the pu...
Knossos
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The legend of the Minotaur and its labyrinth has captivated us for centuries, but is there any evide...
The First Toolmakers
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Invention and innovation are two concepts that have propelled humankind forward for as long as peopl...
Iron Age Scotland: Clachtoll Broch
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across northern Scotland, you can still see the skeletal remains of prehistoric skyscrapers known as...
The Great Fire of Rome
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In July 64AD, the Great Fire of Rome tore across the city, and ultimately burnt two thirds of Rome t...
Athena: Goddess of Wisdom
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains graphic references of a sexual nature.Athena is the goddess of wisdom, tactica...
Rise of the Assyrians
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At its pinnacle, the kingdom of Assyria stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, a ...
Alexandria: The Sunken City
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Egyptian city of Alexandria was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. F...
Troy
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Often thought of as an ancient, mythical idea, immortalised in the works of Homer, it's hard to imag...
Roman Beast Hunts
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and cruelty against animals.The Romans were -...
Sardinia: Mysteries of the Bronze Age
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shrouded in mystery, the Nuragic culture was an enigmatic Bronze Age Civilisation that lived on the ...
Shetland: Edge of the Prehistoric World
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over 100 miles further than the northern reaches of Britain, beyond Orkney, are a remote group of is...
The Philistines
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps best known from the Biblical tale of David and Goliath, the Philistines were an ancient civi...
Ares: God of War
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ares is the god of war and bloodlust in Greek mythology.One of the twelve Olympian gods, Ares was of...
Septimius Severus
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Given his incredible career, you'd perhaps expect the name of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus to be ...
Dinosaurs: The Last Days
05 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Around 66 million years ago, an asteroid the size of Mount Everest slammed into our planet, triggeri...
The First Humans
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where do humans come from? Or, perhaps more interestingly, who did humans evolve from? A question on...
Shirin: Heroine of Iran
26 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Princess, Queen, and political influencer - Shirin should be a name as famed as Cleopatra, but how c...
The Origins of Buddhism
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the oldest religions in the world, Buddhism is practiced by over 400 million people today, bu...
The Bantu Expansion
19 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Bantu expansion was one of the most significant cultural events in human history. Sometime betwe...
The Colossus of Rhodes
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes has lived on in legend - with ...
Cleopatra's Daughter
12 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cleopatra VII is one of the most famous individuals from the ancient world. The final Queen of Ancie...
Homo Erectus
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Before modern humans walked the earth, and even before the Neanderthals, Homo Erectus dominated the ...
Aphrodite: Goddess of Love
05 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains graphic references.Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythol...
The Nazca Lines
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carved into the Peruvian landscape over a millennia ago, the Nazca lines are some of the most famed,...
Feathered Dinosaurs
29 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Having dominated the earth for millions of years, it's no wonder Dinosaurs have always fascinated us...
Babylon
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most famous cities in history - Babylon is shrouded in mystery and myth. Located in ancie...
The Great Serpent Mound
22 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Located in the US State of Ohio, the Great Serpent Mound is an iconic monument of Ancient America. N...
The Parthenon
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The unofficial 8th wonder the Ancient World, the Parthenon is still standing today. Located on the A...
Orkney: Centre of the Stone Age
15 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Orkney, a group of islands off Britain’s north coast, famed for their stunning, rural scenery. But...
The Kings of Rome
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains references to sexual assault and suicide.When you think of Ancient Rome, you d...
Hephaestus: God of Fire
08 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains references to sexual assault and terms for groups which were classified that w...
The First Writing
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The results of a groundbreaking new study were released today [January 5th] by a group of researcher...
Spartacus
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
‘I’m Spartacus!’ In the field of epic film making, the 1960 historical drama ‘Spartacus’, ...
The First Britons
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
67 million people currently inhabit the United Kingdom - but what do we know about the original, fir...
The Rise and Fall of Crassus
18 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Often overshadowed by his more successful peers (anyone heard of Julius Caesar?), Crassus' rise and ...
Hammurabi: Rise of the Babylonians
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
2000 BC saw the famed city of Babylon begin to flourish under the rule of a King called Hammurabi. R...
Hera: Queen of the Gods
11 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hera, the wife and sister of Zeus, goddess of marriage, royalty and women, is the Queen of the Gods ...
Carausius: The Pirate King
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With ancient Rome often being viewed as a mighty, impenetrable empire - it seems unlikely that one m...
Bethlehem
04 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Most famously known as the birth place of Jesus, Bethlehem has been immortalised in texts, carols, a...
Uruk: The First Cities
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A Mesopotamian metropolis that thrived for millennia, Uruk is even claimed by some to have been the ...
Alexander the Great: Man and Myth
27 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alexander the Great is one of the most famous figures from history. Legends and fantastical versions...
The Legacy of Tutankhamun
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the phenomenon of “Tutmani...
Rise of the Etruscans
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Situated in the North of Italy, the Etruscan's were once a powerful civilisation, dominating the Ita...
Valley of the Kings
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the west bank of the Nile, across from the ancient city of Thebes, lies the Valley of the Kings -...
Zeus: King of the Gods
13 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Zeus, the chief deity in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of sky and thunder, and is king of all...
The Tomb of Tutankhamun
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In November of 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter, thanks to benefactor Lord Carnarvon, disco...
The World's Earliest Cave Art
06 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
200,000 years ago in what is now Tibet, two children left a set of hand and foot prints on a travert...
Tutankhamun
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tutankhamun is one of the most famous names in ancient history. Known as the 'Boy King', he ascended...
Ukraine's Ancient Greek City
30 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Located in modern day Ukraine, Olbia was the largest ancient Greek settlement on the coast of the Bl...
Colosseum
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nicknamed the 8th wonder of the ancient world, the Colosseum still stands in splendour today. Locate...
The First Black Archaeologist
23 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Born to slaves in 1863, John Wesley Gilbert was the first student of the Paine Institute, a graduate...
Virgil
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of Antiquity's greatest poets, Virgil's legacy is seen across history. Following in the footstep...
End of Stone Age Orkney
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Around 5200 years ago, during the Neolithic period, when farming first took hold, Orkney was a hugel...
Rosetta Stone
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In July 1799 a group of French soldiers stumbled upon a stone that was set to change our understandi...
Race in Antiquity
09 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
History is littered with devastating accounts of prejudice that shines a harsh light on the atrociti...
March of the 10,000
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded by Xenophon, the 10,000 were a force of Greek mercenaries employed by Cyrus the Younger, wi...
The Rise and Fall of Roman London
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 43 AD, the Romans set up temporary forts along the banks of a river to wait for their Emperor, Cl...
The Real King Arthur: Ambrosius Aurelianus
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A friend of Merlin, the husband of Guinevere, and the inspiration for numerous Hollywood blockbuster...
Top Five Dinosaurs
25 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
They’re big. They’re fierce. And they’re extinct. This is how today’s guest - palaeontologis...
Karnak: Egypt's Greatest Temple
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Located on the banks of the River Nile in Luxor, Egypt, the Karnak Temple complex is one of the larg...
Art of Neolithic Orkney
18 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Located in the Northern Isles of Scotland, Orkney is a remote and wild environment. With over 5000 y...
Neanderthals
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Neanderthals are stereotypically viewed as thoughtless savages - but is this an accurate depiction o...
Elizabeth II: The Making of The Queen
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the British throne. Born in April 1926, Elizabeth Wind...
Treasures of Tutankhamun
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most famous names in history - who is Tutankhamun? In 1922 Howard Carter discovered one t...
Rise of the Persians
04 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Achaemenid Empire, or better known as the First Persian Empire, was one of the largest empires i...
Prosthetics in Antiquity
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Prosthetics - an artificial feature or body part commonly used to either help restore functions of l...
Ancient Americas: the South American Stonehenge
28 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the largest archaeological sites in South America, located near Lake Titicaca in Western Boli...
Ancient Americas: The Moche
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Known for their iconic ceramics and notable artwork - the Moche people flourished in ancient norther...
Ancient Americas: The Olmec Heads
21 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the the earliest Mesoamerican civilisations discovered so far - Olmec influences are visible ...
The Origins of Jerusalem
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the oldest cities in history, and revered by religions across the world - what do we know abo...
Ancient Americas: Teotihuacan
14 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A jewel of Mesoamerica, Teotihuacan was a vibrant, painted city - but who built it? And who actually...
The Oracle of Delphi
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"If Croesus goes to war he will destroy a great empire." That was the prophecy the Oracle of De...
Ancient Americas: Debunking The Maya Apocalypse
07 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most famous, and sophisticated, cultures of Mesoamerica, why are the Maya known only for ...
Hannibal vs Rome: Hannibal's Greatest Victory
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most studied military victories in history, and arguably one of the worst Roman defeats -...
Hannibal vs Rome: The Road to Cannae
31 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of the greatest military commanders in history - it's no wonder Hannibal and Rome so frequently ...
Yorkshire's Roman Mystery: The Ryedale Hoard
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In May 2020, four unique Roman artefacts were unearthed near Ampleforth, North Yorkshire by two amat...
Hannibal vs Rome: Terror at Trasimene
24 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Towards the beginning of the Second Punic War on 21 June 217 BC, a Carthaginian force under Hannibal...